Washington Alpine club

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1 Washington Alpine club Washington Alpine Club P.O. Box 352 Seattle, WA In This Issue WASHINGTON CLUB The Bulletin is 100% online This format allows us to offer photos, color, more timely content, and saves a lot of paper and trees. For those without , with dial up connections, or with incompatible software we will continue to mail the Bulletin. Bulletin March 2009 Volume 92, Issue 3 WAC Fun Day is back! Sunday, March 1! After a 20+ year hiatus, WAC Fun Day will resume this year on the WAC trails. If you think this is just for kids, or too easy, think again partner! The 10 am ski race will require all the skills in your toolbox, and the competition will be fierce. The mass start ensures there will be elbows, stumbles, and frustration for some. Will your skins stay on? Do you know the course? Will your equipment hold up? Everyone wants their name immortalized on the trophy! (Mountaineers gaze at it longingly and lustfully!) This is like winning the Tour de France, the round the world solo sailboat race, or the Oscar for best actress or actor! Okay, not quite, but locally this is a big event full of prestige. We are expecting a big turnout in all the divisions. Details Schedule of Events: 10:00 Ski race Winner will have their name immortalized on the historic WAC Fun Day plaque (in the hallway) 11:00 Ski/Snowshoe Treasure Hunt Hot chocolate, cookies and fire at the start/finish 1:00 Awards Ceremony And raffle in the WAC Dining Hall Calendar 2 President s Corner 3 Conservation: Olympic Clean-Up 4 Education: Basic Climbing Class 5 Snoqualmie Loppet 6 Community News, Events & Photos 7 Nostalgia 8 Get involved WAC Fun Day 1 Calendar 2 Join us on facebook 3 NWAC Dinner and Fundraiser 6 Snoqualmie Loppet 6 Adults Ski race: Get those metal-edged backcountry skis waxed, and practice your technique. Race will start by ascending up the rope-tow hill, turning right onto the blue Cliff trail and over to Guye View road, then back on Guye View Road, past the start and onto Beaver Trail and up and around the Big Rock Loop. The race concludes with a thrilling finish down the rope tow hill. About 3km max and probably closer to 2km. Kids and Youth/Adult Treasure Hunt: This will be non-race event where the kids (and kids at heart) will have a treasure map. They will find stations on the trail system Submit a story or photo! Do you have a story or photo that you would like to share? Please send it in to us! wacbulletin@yahoo.com where they can get their fun day card stamped. Completed cards can be turned in for a prize at the awards ceremony. There will be little kid and youth/adult versions of the map and cards. Can you help? We will need day of volunteers to help direct skiers, bring out the hot chocolate, start the fire and decorate. Saturday volunteers will help mark the race course and pack down the trail. Contact Eli to volunteer or for more info: e2holmes@gmail.com WAC Technical T s We still have a few WAC Technical T s left. Available sizes: S, M, L, XL, XXL Just $20

2 WAC Calendar Ongoing 2nd Thursdays March Board Meetings 1 WAC Fun Day 7 Vegetarian Potluck 8 Snoqualmie Loppet Ski Tour Climbing Class Instructor Training at Guye Cabin 28 MOFA Instructor Class Begins April 18 Olympic Beach Clean-up Looking Ahead March - June May - October July 6-10 July August 1-2 Basic Climbing Class 2nd Saturday Work Parties Join the WACList on Yahoo Summit Endurance Running Camp (FCA) Seattle to Portland Bike Ride WAC Weekend Trail Running Camp If you want to get mail on the WAC list, join the yahoo group at: Post message: waclist@yahoogroups.com Subscribe: waclist-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Important: You must be a current member! We have to approve you before you can join, so please put your name in the comment section. Is Your Contact Info Current? You can check these things on the Washington Alpine Club website: If your address or address changes please let us know! Moving? Send change of address forms to: Washington Alpine Club PO Box 352, Seattle, WA Or Dave Mitchell at: dtmitch@mindspring.com New Address? To update your address log on to www. wacweb.org. If you don t have an account, you can use the shared name and password: User name: climbing Password: climbon Thanks -George Snelling, Mike Garrison, Sim Larkin Washington Alpine Club Incorporated 1916 Incorporated 1923 Member Of Federation of Western Outdoor Clubs, Washington Trails Association, Washington Environmental Council, Washington Wilderness Coalition, and MidFORC Coalition The primary purpose of this club is to encourage the healthful enjoyment of the great outdoors, to preserve its natural beauty and to promote good fellowship among all lovers of nature. P.O. Box 352, Seattle, WA Board Of Trustees President Mike Mahanay st Vice President Pat O Brien nd Vice President Dave Mitchell Treasurer Toby Young Secretary Lynn Simmons At Large John Sargent Jeff Wright Laurie Rich Eli Holmes John Commiskey Ira Rushwald Alpine Division Climbing Class Co-Chairs Mike Daly, Jeff Watts, Kristin Kaupang Winter Division Telemark Ski Randy Oakley, Jeff Knudson, Jeff Wright Back Country John Commiskey, Ty Tyler, Mica Schonbeck Property & Membership Cabin Chairman...Bill Hooper Work Party...Bill Hooper Membership...Kristin Kaupang Publicity...Kay Ishi Cabin Supply...Tami Sargent Public Relations Bulletin Editor...Jeff Dietz Conservation...Mike Mahanay Circulation...Dave Mitchell By Laws...Dave Mitchell

3 President s Corner March 2009 by Mike Mahanay Although winter took a brief hiatus the snow has returned this week. The days are getting longer and the ski lessons are wrapping up. Word from those who know at UW such as Cliff Mass predict Spring to begin early. The official day for the vernal equinox and the beginning of spring is March 20. This has been a superb ski season in spite of the lack of powder. The skiable snow should last well into April. (By then the spring corn should appear on the volcanoes making them very attractive ski destinations). Our weather will soon turn gorgeous, and the yellow daffodils will make everyone feel very happy! When do you think the last snow will melt from around Guye Cabin? Last year it was well into July! Co Chairs John Commiskey, Ty Tyler, Mica Schonbeck had the Winter Backcountry Travel Class at Guye Cabin last weekend. They had great winter weather, and plenty of firm hard packed snow! They had excellent instructors helping out and a fantastic group of students! This might have been one of the best Cabin weekends ever for the Backcountry Class! The 2009 Climbing Class will also be underway very soon! It is led this year by Mike Daly, Jeff Watts, and Kristin Kaupang. They will have the instructors clinics at Guye Cabin on March 14 & 15. Thanks to the co-chairs and all the volunteers who work so hard to organize and teach these and other WAC classes! And let us not forget Pat O Brien! Pat is a pillar of the WAC community and an inspiration to us all! April 18/19 is the 8th Annual Olympic Beach Cleanup, our yearly service trip. The winter storms, unfortunately, bring a new delivery of flotsam and jetsam to our beaches. Started as a grass roots effort by our good friend Jan Klippert, the coastal clean now goes all the way from the Long Beach Peninsula to Cape Flattery. The WAC portion is Hoh Beach. Come join the fun! We have participated the last seven years and each year it has been even more fun than the year before! It makes everyone feel good to know they help cleanup the only wilderness coastline in the lower 48. Come on out on April 18, to where the cold glacier water from Mount Olympus meets the Pacific Ocean! Sign up with Mike. There are several Cabin events in March beginning with the WAC Fun Day March 01! Ski races for youngsters and adults! Come up and support this event! Then the next weekend is the Vegetarian Potluck on Sat, followed by the Snoqualmie Loppet Nordic ski event on Sunday. March and April are excellent times to visit Guye Cabin. Since the lessons are over, the Cabin is generally quiet and relaxed. As the flowers begin to bloom in Seattle, and the days become longer, there will be less people, more parking spaces, and still all the snow you need! The Cabin is a great place to meet new friends and renew old friendships! What is the Washington Alpine Club? An all-volunteer, grass roots, local community organization that supports outdoor recreation and each other. It is a huge effort to run our organization. There are almost 200 people that play key roles in teaching, organizing, and motivating students on a yearly basis. They do this for no reason other than the satisfaction it brings them to see others experience the wonders of the Pacific NW and grow in skills and confidence! A long standing tradition, the WAC began in 1893 helping to create Mount Rainier National Park, and is stronger than ever with 500 members! Most of them actually know each other. Do you know someone who would be a good fit for the WAC? Please take some time and introduce them to some of the many benefits our unique Club has to offer, and get them online to sign up! They will thank you for it! See you at the pass! The Washington Alpine Club is on Facebook! Invite your friends to join us. Facebook is yet another way to keep up with the Washington Alpine Club. Once you ve joined Facebook, go to the WAC page and join the group. And invite your friends to join the group. You can connect with other WAC members, get information on upcoming events and post messages for other members. Just click on the Facebook logo on on the right to visit the WAC Page. 3

4 Conservation Olympic Beach Clean-up You are invited to participate in a grand adventure: to join others in removing debris from Olympic National Park and Makah Indian Reservation Pacific Ocean beaches during the April 18-19, 2009 weekend. The Washington Alpine Club is one of the sponsors of this event. As in past years, we will camp at the Hoh Beach on Saturday evening, about one mile from the trailhead. Contact Mike Mahanay at or mikem@grandcanyontreks.org to register. We will do the Jefferson Cove Beach south of Forks. Each year we see bald eagles, seals, and lots of life in the tidepools. Our goal this year is 15 volunteers. We would like firm commitments by April 01, but of course we will take late-comers up to the last second. The cleaniup is energized by a partnership of community service organizations, businesses, tribal and government agencies. Volunteers will comb ocean beaches from Kalaloch South Beach in Olympic National Park to Hobuck Beach on the Makah Reservation. Marine debris will be hauled off the beaches and piled at trailheads or cache sites for disposal. This community/volunteer effort will help preserve the natural beauty of this unparalleled Washington wilderness resource. Want to do several nights into the Coastal Wilderness? Some remote beaches will require an overnight stay. Let me know and I ll give some suggestions if needed. More remote beaches will require a several day commitment from volunteers with no-trace wilderness For more information: backpacking skills. Emphasis of the 2009 clean-up will be on remote, difficult to reach wilderness beaches. Because of their remoteness, many of these beaches have never had a thorough clean up before. Hardy wilderness savvy volunteers are needed. Volunteers will register at one of four field operation sites including the Forks Information Center, and Kalaloch. At these sites volunteers will receive information about the beach they will be working. Burke Museum - 2-for-1 Admission Our friends at the Burke Museum of National History invite the WAC to their new exhibit. Coffee: The World in Your Cup presents the story of one of the world s most widely traded commodities and how it has affected cultures, economies, and environments across the globe. Coffee explores the environmental and social impacts of the coffee industry and recommends ways for consumers to make socially and environmentally responsible coffee purchases at the grocery store or in a coffee shop. Just print out this coupon for a 2 for 1 admission to the Burke! This is perfect for an evening outing! 4

5 Education Basic Climbing Class MOFA Instructor Training The WAC BASIC Climbing Class is right around the corner. We are looking forward to a great climbing class this year, with 33 students. We need your help to make the class run smoothly! Take a look at the schedule at and find some time to help volunteer. If you are interested in instructing and have not signed up for the instructor mail list, sign up at: Upcoming events: New Instructor Training: Saturday March 14th at Guye Cabin Returning Instructor Training: Sunday March 15th at Guye Cabin First Class: Tuesday March 17th at 7pm Let us know if you have any questions. We look forward to seeing you for the class! Kristin, Mike and Jeff wacclass-cochairs@yahoogroups.com Help the WAC build its Wilderness First Aid Program- Become a MOFA Instructor! This is a course to prepare you to be an American Red Cross Lay Responder First Aid/CPR/AED Instructor as well as a MOFA Instructor. It is advisable that you have previously taken a MOFA course. The course covers two full weekends (4 days) beginning March 28. The Fundamentals of Instructor Training Course meets on Saturday March 28, Sunday March 29, Saturday April 4 and Sunday April 5th from ~8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Bring a lunch. It is not possible to miss any sessions. You will receive your American Red Cross CPR & AED and FA participant certification as well as MOFA Instructor and ARC FA/CPR/AED Instructor certification as part of this course. For more information or details, contact Karl Brackman: (425) or k.brackman@verizon.net Register online at: TripRegister.cfm?Event=17008 Winter Backcountry Travel Class Co-Chairs John Commiskey, Ty Tyler, and Mica Schonbeck led the Winter Backcountry Travel Class at Guye Cabin last weekend. They had great winter weather, plenty of snow, excellent instructors, and a fantastic group of students! Lee Adams inspecting students snow shelter. 5

6 Community News & Events Snoqualmie Loppet - Sunday, March 8! Second Annual Race - from Silver Fir to Cabin Creek. Couldn t do the Hog Loppet? Here is a second chance and a easy way to experience the fun, adventure, and drama of a long distance ski tour. What a great way to introduce people to the entire Nordic trail system! This is an informal event with no sponsors, no support, no prizes, and no responsibility! Just a group of friends out for a challenging ski! We will arrange car shuttles to Cabin Creek. It s about 30 kilometers total distance, about the same as the Hog Loppet. You can also do any of the sections if you are not up to full Loppet. Last year there were 6 of us, and we hope for more than 10 this year. The WAC would like to stage this event each year. This is the second running. There is no entry fee, however, you must have a trail pass to use the Summit Nordic Trail System and if you park your car you must have a SNO-PARK permit! It is recommended to start promptly at 9 am for the best snow conditions. Mike will be positioning his truck early (7:00 a.m.) and can bring people back in his truck- as many as will fit in his truck. He is also willing to make a return trip if necessary. ( ) There is no recommended ski gear or technique suggested. Classic or skate is fine. Faster Skiers will complete in about 3 hours. Slower skiers perhaps 5-6 hours. It depends on your gear, your technique, your wax, the weather, grooming conditions, and your physical ability. There is no support in terms of food on the course other than Hyak Lodge. Please bring plenty of food and water. Keep track of your time and we ll post the results. For more info or to RSVP, contact Mike: mikem@grandcanyontreks.org The Course 1. Silver Fir lift to the top and the upper trails at 9 am 2. Around Mount Catherine counter clockwise all the way to Hyak Lodge 3. Descend to the Iron Horse and the long fast 10K past the Stampede Pass Road 4. 3 telephone poles past the Stampede Pass Road enter the Trollhagen trail system 5. Exit Troll Hagen and ski toward I90 until you connect with the Stampede Pass Road 6. Walk the road, crossing I90, and into the DOT yard ( I ll have this marked with tape a day or two before) 7. Bare slightly to the right and in a couple 100 join the Cabin Creek Trail System 8. Ski the Viking course and Berg course to the end! Vegetarian Potluck March 7, 6:00 p.m. This is the seventh year we have done the Vegetarian Potluck! The past couple of years we have had almost 50 people! Come up early and spend the day, or get some time in the snow and work up a big appetite. Spend the night! Everything will be specialty potluck. Please bring your very best dishes of main courses, salads, appetizers, vegetables, deserts. Can t cook? Just go by PCC and pick something nice up from the deli, or bring fresh daffodils or tulips, or lots of juices and teas. Those planning on the doing the Snoqualmie Loppet the next day will be loading up on carbs! March 07 6 PM SnowBall Dinner and Auction Fundraiser The Friends of NWAC is excited to announce the inaugural SnowBall Dinner and Auction! Please join us on Friday, April 10 at 6pm at the Ballard Elks Club on the water at Shilshole in Seattle. This end-of-the-season celebration to support NWAC and avalanche safety in the Northwest promises to be a fun gathering of snow enthusiasts with stories of the season shared over cocktails and dinner. Come prepared to go home with a great selection of live and silent auction items with tight government budgets shrinking fast, NWAC needs your support now more than ever. Tickets are available through Brown Paper Tickets here. If you have been contacted by a table sponsor, please let us know with a note to info@avalanchenw.org, or purchase your ticket directly from that sponsor. Seating is limited buy your ticket now so you don t miss out. Here s to a snow-filled winter, and please be safe so the stories you bring in April will not be epics. The Friends of NWAC For more information: 6

7 Photos of the Month Denny Trimble in Ouray, Colorado. Cheri Higman, nearing the summit of Mt. St. Helens, with a splitboard assembled with help from her dad. Susan Ashlock and Bob Coleman on the summit of Hex Mountain. Jonathan Pryce leading the Commonweatlh Basin Snowshoe. 7

8 Nostalgia New Years 1968 The ordeal involving 23 hardy Alpiners and their cars began on Sunday, Dec. 29. They arrived at the cabin to find clear skies and lots of powdery snow. As the day progressed, various activities, such as cleaning out the biffy, digging trails and skiing occupied the soon-to-be-stranded Alpiners. Trips to the biffy were short and infrequent due to extreme cold and tender bottoms. (Ed. Note: The biffy, later referred to as the chalet, was a tool shed with mens on one side and womens on the other. It was located on the SW corner of the yard.) Sunday evening the temperature dropped to near 20 below zero. Activities were confined to the warm cabin. Many bedded down in the rec room while the rest went to the dorms to freeze during the night. Monday morning was ushered in with sub zero temperatures and 23 shivering bodies. After breakfast the cars were found to be frozen and would not start. It was decided to spend another night. Snow begin to fall Monday night and several hardy souls went sledding. All night the snow fell. The first person to the biffy found 36 inches of new snow. Temperatures remained the same and so it was decided to call off the New Years Dinner. Don Knox was called to contact people who were planning to come up. Don and one of his mechanics arrived an hour before the pass was closed. It was shut down for 14 hours due to seventy-mile-an hour winds, freezing rain, avalanches and stalled cars. After a cup of coffee Don and the drivers went out to start their cars but only two would run. New Years came and passed with little recognition. Sometime after midnight jumping from the balcony into the snow was the main activity. After 1:00 AM the rec room again became a coed dorm. In the morning all the cars were finally started and the cabin was evacuated. Thus ended a not-soon-to-be-forgotten weekend. WASHINGTON CLUB Washington Alpine Club P.O. Box 352 Seattle, WA Address Correction Requested Do Not Forward FIRST CLASS TO: